Apparatus for storing and distributing wind-power.



I s. PIOHAULT. APPARATUS FOR STORING AND DISTRIBUTING WIND POWER.

APPLIUATIGN $11.31) FEB. 24, 1900.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S. PIGHAULT. APPARATUS FOR STORING Am) DISTRIBUTING WIND POWER.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. 24, 1906: 984,599, Patented Feb. 21, 191 1.

5 SHEET-SHBET 2.

S. PIGHAULT. APPARATUS FOR STORING AND DISTRIBUTING WIND POWER.

APPLIUATION IILED FEB. 24. 1906.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

W f E 5 U 5 BHEETSSHBET 4.

will7645511551)!!! Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

AI PYLIGATION FILED 1153.24, 1906.

a PmHAULT'. APPARATUS POE; TORING AND DISTRIBUTING WIND'POWER.AFPLIUATION FILLED EBB. 24-, 1908.

984,599. Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

5 SHEET S8HBET 5.

a STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHANE PICHAUL'I', or VALENOIENNES, FRANCE.

APPARATUS non sro'nme Ann ms'rurnurms Winn-rowan.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 24, 1906, ScrialNo. 303,008.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPIIANE PIOHAUL'i', a citizen of the FrenchRepublic, and resident of Valenciennes, in the North Depart- .5 Inent,France, have invented certain new the drawings and pointed out in theap.

pended claims.

The complete apparatus and the details of its various constituent partsare shown 26 in the annexed drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the complete apparatus. line A--B of Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is another section on line O D of Fig. 1, turned into a verticalposition. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the pipes which connect up thevarious parts of theapparatus. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are vertical andhorizontal sections of the upper end of. the pivot of the apparatus,given by way of example. Fig. 8 is a vertical section showing how thedriving shaft carrying the turbine of the apparatus is mounted. Fig. 9is a vertical section of" one ofthe air compressil'lg pumps of the,apparatus, the

said section showing at the sametime the air inlet with which one of thepumps is provided. Fig. 10 is a vertical section of one of thereservoirs interposed between the compressing pumps, and Fig. 11 is avertical 40. section of one of the pressure regulators, which arelikewise interposed between each compressing pump and the reservoirwherein it delivers the air. 'tion showing the pipe connections between'45 the pumps, vertical shaft and reservoirs.

The apparatus. thus shown comprises (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) a large funnel 1of conical shape wit-l en inverse extension at the rear, and mounted on,ball bearings 2 and 3 on a .50 vertical axis 4 which is securely fixedat the upper part of some existing building or of a frame-work providedfor the purpose. Ribs or partitions 5', connect the funnel 1 to acenterxcone 6 oppositely disposed to that 5-.Jvhich forms the funnel 1,and serve as sup- Fig. 2 is a vertical section on Fig. 11 is an elevatween the cone 6 andthe funnel 1, a distributing crown having vanes 8similar to those of motor turbines is mounted and facing thiscrown thereis another crown 9 which also has vanes but inversely curved andconstituting, as in turbines, the moving or motlvepart of the apparatus.The movable crown 9 is fixed to a central cone 10 oppositely arranged to6, and has fixed to it an outer cone 11 oppositely arranged to thefunnel 1, the parts 9, 10 and 11 being fixed Patented Feb.21,1911.

on an extension 12 of the horizontal shaft 7 and rotating with thisshaft. On the pe riphery of the funnel 1, pumps 13, 14, 15, 16, arefixedly mounted, and the pistons of said pumps are connected by rods 17to a crank 18 fixed on the shaft 7. These pumps are connected so as todeliver the air by progressive compressions up to the pressurecorresponding to the highest speed of the.

wind into a special reservoir having a suitable capacity.

The members receiving the action of the wind (with the pumpactuated byit and all the accessories) are adapted to rotate freely around thevertical shaft at on the ball bearings 2 and 3. The shaft 4: is providedwith longitudinal passages 4,6, 457, which connect with the pumps andthe storing reservoirs as seen in Figs; 4:, 5, 6 and 7, so that the pump13 draws in the air and forces it into pump 14 which in turn forces itinto pump 15 and the latter forces it into pump 16. Pump 16 forces theair through pipe 30 into passage 47 in shaft 4 and thence throughpassages 32 and 45 into reservoir 26. The motor shaft '7 can besupported by the central cone 6 by means of ball bearings of the kind ofthose shown in Fig. 8 which shows likewise the special arrangement ofthe crank and the cross whereto the connecting rods 17 are coupled.

The funnel 1 owing to it being mounted near its front edge, on thevertical shaft- 41:, faces automatically the direction of the wind whichenters it violently and causes the turbine 9 to rotate. The turbine inturn, by the motor shaft 7, actuates the pumps 13, 1 1, 15, 16, which bymeans of suitable passages arranged in the shaft 4 deliver the air atmore or lesshigh pressure into any suitably arranged reservoirs 26, 27,etc.

It will be seen that the funnel 1, the en'- trance section of which mustbe very large compared with that of the passage of the v .iport (Fig.8-) for a horizontal shaft7. Be ft'urbine, directs the wind toward thelatter which formsakind of dam in the current. There result-s therefroman increase ofpressure and of speed at the entrance of the mu 7circumference of this cone to take a divergent course with reference tothe horizontal axis which causes the lowering of the central pressure inthe escaping cone of the turbine, thus still more increasing the utilizable work. the arrangement of the Whole around the vertical shaft 4renders unnecessary a special rudder.

The air com ressin and storin device comprises (Fig. 4) an air intake19, pumps, 13, 14, 15, 16 delivering the one into the other,intermediary reservoirs, 20, 21, 22 pressure reduction valves 23, 24,25, and a reservoir 26 serving as'a-high tension receiver. The pumps,the intermediate reservoirs and the reduction valves are-connected bypipes 28 (Fig. The first p1.m1p.13 alone sucks air from the atmosphere(Figs. 3, 4, 9) through an air inlet 19 which is sur rounded by ahemispherical or cylindroconical or dish-shapedcup 29. The. last pump 16connected by the pipe 30 (Fig. 4, with a tubular member 31 (Figs. 5, 7)movable around the vertical shaft 4 is in commun.ication through apassage arranged in the latter with the pipe 32 connected itself to thehigh pressure reservoir 26 which is provided with a safety valve. If thecock 33 cuts the direct con'nnunication between the pump 13 and the pipe34 and if the cook 35 on the contrary opens the communication betweenthe pump 13 and the pipe 36, the air delivered by the pump 13 through apassage 46 arrives in the supplemental reser voir 27. Theme it flows tothe different apparatus using it under the convenient pressure. If onthe'contrary the supplemental reservoir 2? receives from the pump 13less air than it furnishes, the air previously accumulated in 21 under ahigher pressure, re-

turns to 20 then to 27 through the pressure controlling device 23conveniently adjusted. If the air accumulated in 21 is spent, itis theair of 22 which in turn passes through the pressure regulator 24 alsoconveniently adjusted. Finally, if the air of 22 is can hausted, the airinclosed in the large reservoir 26 passes in turn through the regulatingdevice 25.

' The air intake 19/ which only exists at the pump 13 forms an admissioncontrolling de- It will furthermore be seen that tube. This slideconnected with the cup-29.

is intended to uncover more or less, according to the automatic pressureof theavind, the admission openings 39 of the said admission tube. Aspring 40 acts upon the slide 38 in order to, close completely or nearlythe openings: 39;. when the speed of the wind decreases below thatnecessary for overcoming the different passive resistances of the entiremechanism.

"When the pumps 13, 14, 15 and 16 are single acting they are arranged asshown by Fig. 9. Their intake and delivering valves are conical and havea long guiding rod as. well as springs. The pistonshave the same strokebut their diameter is diminished in proportion as they deliver the airat a higher tension. The intermediary reservoirs 20, 21 22 are arrangedin such a manner that they may be easily connected with the piping 28,shown in Fig. 4. v They are provided with interrupting devices 48, 49allowing of their being shut off, and also with a stop valve 41.

The pressure regulators (Fig. 11) have a small piston valve 42 which iscompressed between an adjustable spring 43 and a series of superposedhollow, air-tight, doubleconvex diaphragms 44. Normally, the piston 42is balanced for a given pressure, regulated by the spring 43. When thepressure coming from reservoir 20 is reduced, the

for compressing, storing and distributing the compressed air areindicated inthe drawings in the following manner :The vertical shaft 4carries a number of stufling boxes provided with pipes (Figs. 5, 6, 7)corresponding to that of the passages connecting the pumps both iwiththe high tension reservoir and to the supplemental ones. Figs. 5, 6, 7,show, as an example, three passages 45, 46, 4.7. The first receives .theair from the pump 16 and conveys it to the reservoir 26; the two'ot-hers46, 47 are in communication, by two boxes 31 and by the pipes 34, 36,with the pump 13 and the supplemental reservoir (notshown) but vwhichhas been designated by 27. The action of the apparatus. will now bereadily understood. When the supplemental reserv'cir is not used thewind-striking the funnel l V 1 enters the air intake controller 29, penetrates through the openings 39/ into the pump 13 which has the largestdiameter iso - at which the closure are closed in turn.

accent:

and delivers the air under a certain pressure into the intermediatereservoir -20. hen the apparatus is being started and the otherreservoirs and the pipes are still under at nioepheric pressure the airescapee so to speak freely and enters the storing receptacle E36 passingthrough the scarcely lifted valves-:of the pumps 14, 15, 16, as well asthrough the pressure controlling devices 23, 24:, 25, which, of courseare all. open, but as soon as the whole pressure attains the height of23 takes place, the pistons of the pumps 14. begin to compress the airin an efficientmanner. The came occurs, in the pumps 15, 16 when 24 and25 The storing reservoir 26 is then slowly filled until the pressurelimited by the safety valve is reached.

The apparatus (which collects, stores and distributes auton'iaticallythe energy of the wind) such as has been described above,

forms a complete whole which may be conetructcd in any size.

The exact shape of the apparatus may of course be modified as well asthearrangement of its constituting members.

Having now fully described my said invention, what I. claim and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In an apparatus of the kind described the combination with a verticalshaft, of a funnel mounted on the vertical shaft and adapted to takeautomatically the direction of the wind, an air turbine comprising stationary directing blades and a rotary wheel composed of a series ofblades adapted to receive the action of the wind, means for decreasingthe speed of the wind after it has passed through the turbine, aplurality of pumps arranged on the said funnel, an air intake with whichone of said pumps is connected, means. for driving the said pumpssimultaneously from the turbine sh'aft, pipe connections between the sad pumps and adapted to allow of the air being progreseirely compressedin the pumps, intermediate reservoirs and pressure reducing controllers,a regulator for the air intake of the first pump, and a storingreservoir for the compressed air, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described the combination with a verticalshaft, of a funnel rotatably mounted on the vertical shaft, and ,ballbearings between thefunnel and the vertical shaft, a central cone, meaneconnecting the central cone and the funnel, a shaft supported by thecone, stationary curved blades arranged upon the central cone betweenthe latter and the funnel, oppositely curved blades adapted toconstitute a turbine wheel, and a rear central cone carrying the saidlast-mentioned curved blades and secured to the said. last-mentionedshaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described the combination with afunnel,-of a vertical shaft adapted to rotatably support the funnel nearits front edge, a central rotary cone and a diverging funnel adapted toform with the central rotary cone an annular diverging air escapepassage, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In an apparatus of the kind described the combination with a verticalshaft ro tat-ably eupportinga funnel. near its front edge, of a. airturbine inside the funnel, a shaft upoi; which the turbine is mounted,pumps rad 4 y arranged on the said funnel,

' connections between the said pumps,

itter being adapted to deliver compree air one into the other forprogres eive compression, said pumps comprising pistone and piston rode,a crank on the tur bine e'naft, nearly' radial connecting rods pivotallyconnected to the piston rods, and a common central pin arranged onthe-crank of the turbine'shaft, and to which central pin the connectingrods are pivotally connected substantially as and for the purposedescribed. a

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

1 STEPHANE PIGHAULT.

\Vitnesses:

EDOUARD VANDENBUNDER,

EDMOND Dnou'r.

